A preferred method for administering medication orally is by consumption of a solid form of medication such as a tablet, pill, capsule, caplet or the like. Providing medication in tablet form utilises inexpensive production techniques, cheaper packaging and provides a relatively long shelf life for the medication. A further advantage is that each tablet contains a known dosage of the medication which can be dispensed in unitary fashion from a bottle, blister pack or other packaging immediately prior to consumption. Where tablets are contained in a blister pack, unitary dispensing of each tablet dosage prevents oxidation or contamination of the remaining dosages. In contrast, liquid formulations typically have a short shelf life and each dose requires individual measuring.
There are, however, problems associated with administering medication in tablet form. A large proportion of the population experiences difficulty swallowing tablets. This syndrome is known as dysphagia and is associated with taking certain forms of oral medication, particularly tablets. In some cases, tablets are particularly large and are difficult to swallow. For many patients, swallowing tablets can elicit a gag reflex. Other patients such as the mentally ill, the elderly and small children are simply unable to swallow solid medication. This problem is also experienced by patients who are unconscious and patients who use a feeding tube.
Historically, problems associated with swallowing whole tablets have been addressed by mechanical crushing of the solid medication. There are various ways to perform mechanical crushing of medication in solid form. One approach involves use of a mortar and pestle to break up the tablet for dissolution or suspension in a liquid. Other approaches involve placing the tablet inside a plastic envelope or sheath and hammering the sheath to break the tablet into small particles. These particles are then collected and worked into jam or other food to be consumed by the patient.
Drawbacks of these methods include inconsistent particle size and a risk of cross-contamination between medications. Although the devices can be cleaned between uses, this adds considerably to the time required to prepare and administer the medication and there is a risk that cleaning will not be performed as regularly or as thoroughly as needed. Furthermore, there is a risk that a recipient may receive a medication dosage which is less than the entire tablet, since residual tablet particles are typically left behind in the crushing device. In addition, nurses and carers operating these mechanical crushing devices may become exposed to the medication when in powdered form by inhaling or manual contact which has obvious health implications.
In view of these drawbacks, it would be desirable to provide an alternate approach for disintegrating medication in solid form for consumption, e.g. in a liquid.